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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The Stranger Endorses Geary and Harris for Seattle School Board

The Stranger - in their madcap manner - have endorsed Leslie Harris for Position 6 (over incumbent Marty McLaren) and Jill Geary for Position 3 (over Lauren McGuire).

In a moment of reflection:

Vote for Geary so she can get in there and fix things.Ha! Did you see what we did there? We pretended for two whole
paragraphs that putting a passionate progressive on the school board
will "fix things." Ha-ha-ha! That's never worked before—why would it
work now? Still: Vote Geary.

About Harris:

Harris, a paralegal and longtime PTA volunteer, said her political views
align with Sue Peters and Betty Patu—both school board members who've
stood up to corporate reformers and who we've happily endorsed in the
past. Our dream is that Harris will join forces with them and destroy
the board's zombie bloc once and for all. Vote Harris.

I believe that Peters, Patu, Geary and Harris will all march to their own internal drummers but that they seem to find common ground - especially around wanting to have the cleansing light of day come into JSCEE - sounds good to me.

I don't know why they said nothing about the other races; I'll have to ask.

They probably did not endorse in the other districts because the in those there are only two candidates who automatically advance to the November election. I don't think they will even be on the primary ballot.

MJ, I think if you are a careful voter, you take everything into your final judgement. But, from past elections, you can see a pattern of who supports whom and there are always the usual suspects on both sides.

I do not think any candidate is for sale and I think most vote their conscience. That said, I think like-minded people elect those they believe will act towards their concerns.

Maier (spent $165,000 to get elected) and spent 4 years never voting against any proposal. Including $800,000 for the "New Tech" KnowledgeWorks folks to supply Cleveland HS with 3 years of service. He ignored every shred of evidence about New Tech schools.

MJ -- I think it is one data point among many. But it IS a data point, and placed in context with others, I think it can reveal a lot about who a candidate is listening to, which interest groups believe that they "know" that candidate's position -- and like it, etc. I agree with Dan that it was not just general benevolence, or an "accident" that the Maier, Sundquist, Carr, MM board attracted so much corporate and ed reform money. The contributors knew EXACTLY what they wanted, and they bought -- I mean "got" -- it.

In many campaigns, it might not be so glaring, and I don't think I would ding a candidate necessarily for any one specific donation (unless it was REALLY big -- and from someone REALLY tainted). Candidates solicit contributions broadly, and it takes money to run a winning campaign.

McGuire's campaign is all about data and it's uses. She needs to clarify her positions. Does she support linking test scores to teacher evaluations? Does she support Amplify tests, which are administered 3X's per year- followed by SBAC? What are her thoughts regarding data-sharing etc.

MJ -- Speaking of looking at where the campaign donations come from, consider this involving campaign financing and the US Supreme Court in 1919.

In 1918 Henry Ford ran for the US Senate. He entered both primaries. He ran as a Republican and a Democrat. The election was eventually won by a huge spending Republican Truman Newberry.

Statement of the CaseTruman Newberry's Senate problems had begun even before the Michigan general election, when, on September 17, 1918, a resolution was introduced in the Senate calling for an investigation into the Michigan primary. The complaint was based on a report filed by Newberry's campaign committee stating that it had received and spent more than $175,000 on the election, far in excess of the $3,750 limit imposed by Michigan law and the Federal Corrupt Practices Act on the amount of his own money a Senate candidate could spend on his campaign. Then, on January 6, 1919, Henry Ford filed a petition with the Senate, formally contesting the election and asking for a recount. The Senate referred the September resolution and Ford's petition to the Committee on Privileges and Elections at the time each was received.

On the day after Newberry assumed his seat, Henry Ford filed a second petition. He again contested the election and charged Newberry with making unlawful expenditures and intimidating voters. The Senate referred the complaint to the Committee on Privileges and Elections and then, on December 3, 1919, adopted a resolution officially calling for an investigation into the election.

In the meantime, Newberry's problems acquired a new dimension when he and 134 campaign associates were indicted on November 29, 1919, and charged with violations of federal and state campaign laws. Despite Newberry's assertions that he knew nothing of illegal contributions and disbursements, a massive array of evidence, gathered by the U.S. Department of Justice with the help of agents financed by Henry Ford, indicated otherwise. Found guilty on March 20, 1920, Newberry appealed to the Supreme Court, which overturned the conviction by a 5-to-4 ruling on May 2, 1921. The justices narrowly struck down as unconstitutional the power of a federal statute to control state primaries, but they unanimously agreed that the judge in the case had given erroneous instructions to the jury. The favorable ruling concluded Newberry's difficulties in criminal court but not in the Senate.

Really it is time for a constitutional amendment limiting campaign financing. I do not want the finest government money can buy... not for school board and not for president.

All candidates need to clarify their positions ... not just advertise.

Education Acroynms

Advanced Learning - SPS' three-tier program for advanced learners. Made up of APP, Spectrum and ALOs. (Note: the name of the district program is "Advanced Learning Services and Programs" but these three programs fall under "Highly Capable Services" of AL Services and Programs.

ALO - Advanced Learning Opportunity, the third tier of SPS' Advanced Learning program

AP - Advanced Placement. A national program of college-level classes given in high schools.

APP - Accelerated Progress Program. One of the levels of the Advanced Learning Program. NOTE: the name of this program is now "HIGHLY CAPABLE COHORT." This change occurred in 2014.

ASB - Associated Student Body. High school leadership groups.

AYP - Adequate Yearly Progress. Part of NCLB.

BEX - Building Excellence. SPS' capital renovation/rebuilding program that is funded via the BEX levy. Every 3 years there is the Operations levy and either the BEX or BTA levies as those two levies rotate in six year cycles).

BLT - Building Leadership Team. Staff members at a school who meet regularly to discuss building issues.

BTA - Buildings, Technology, Academics. The major maintenance/other capital fund for SPS. Originally BTA was to cover major maintenance like HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), roofs, waterlines, etc.) but now covers wide swaths of items like athletic fields, technology and funding academic needs.

CAICEE - Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence. Created by former Superintendent Manhas in 2008, to issue a report about reform recommendations for SPS.

CSIP - Continuous School Improvement Plan, the plan for improvement for each school as required by state law.

EOC - End of Course Assessments, given in math and science, required for high school graduationESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the federal law that governs education, includes the NCLB accountability provisions.

e-STEM or e-STEAM - STEM or STEAM curriculum with an environmental focus.

FACMAC - Facilities and Capacity Management Advisory Committee. A district committee comprises of an all-volunteer citizen group created in 2012 to help bring research and ideas to capacity management issues in the district.

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. A federal law that protects students' privacy

FRL - Free and reduced lunch.

FTE - Full Time Equivalent

FY - Fiscal Year

Highly Capable Services - NEW name (as of 2014) as umbrella name for these programs: Highly Capable Cohort (formerly APP), Spectrum and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities).

HSPE - High School Proficiency Exam, state assessment that replaced the WASL for 10th graders, required for graduation

HQT - Highly Qualified Teacher, a standard set by federal law

IA - Instructional Assistant

IB - International Baccalaureate program. An international program of advanced classes that can either be taken as stand alone or as part of an overall IB program.

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal law that governs special education

MAP - Measures of Academic Progress. A computer-based adaptive assessment made by NWEA and originally purchased by the district for use as a district-wide formative assessment but now used for a wide variety of purposes.

MSP - Measurement of Student Progress, the state proficiency assessment that replaced the WASL for students in grades 1-8

MTSS - Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

NCLB - No Child Left Behind, a provision of the federal education law, ESEA, introduced during the George W. Bush administration